I was walking in the Land of Ta (Tihran)--the dayspring of the signs of thy
Lord-when lo, I heard the lamentation of the pulpits and the voice of their
supplication unto God, blessed and glorified be He. They cried out and said: "O
God of the world and Lord of the nations! Thou beholdest our state and the
things which have befallen us by reason of the cruelty of Thy servants. Thou
hast created us and revealed us for Thy glorification and praise. Thou dost now
hear what the wayward proclaim upon us in Thy days. By Thy might! Our souls are
melted and our limbs are trembling. Alas, alas! Would that we had never been
created and revealed by Thee!"

The hearts of them that enjoy near access to God are consumed by these words,
and from them the cries of such as are devoted to Him are raised. Time and again
have We, for the sake of God, admonished the distinguished divines, and summoned
them unto the Most Sublime Horizon, that perchance they might, in the days of
His Revelation, obtain their portion of the ocean of the utterance of Him Who is
the Desire of the world, and remain not utterly deprived thereof.

In most of Our Tablets this most weighty exhortation hath been sent down from
the heaven of His all-encompassing mercy. We said: "O concourse of rulers and
divines! Incline your ears unto the Voice calling from the horizon of Akka.
Verily, it aideth you to proceed aright, and draweth you nigh unto Him, and
directeth your steps towards the station which God hath made the Dayspring of
His Revelation and the Dawning-Place of His splendors. O peoples of the world!
He Who is the Most Great Name is come, on the part of the Ancient King, and hath
announced unto men this Revelation which lay hid in His knowledge, and was
preserved in the treasury of His protection, and was written down by the Most
Sublime Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords. O people of Shin (Shiraz)!
Have ye forgotten My loving-kindness and My mercy that have surpassed all
created things, and which proceeded from God Who layeth low the necks of men?"

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) the following hath been revealed: "Say:
O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and
sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance
established amongst men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and
kindreds possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be
tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it. The eye of My
loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch as ye have failed to recognize
the One upon Whom ye have been calling in the daytime and in the night season,
at even and at morn. Advance, O people, with snow-white faces and radiant
hearts, unto the blest and crimson Spot, wherein the Tree beyond which there is
no passing is calling: ‘Verily, there is none other God beside Me, the
Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting!’ O ye leaders of religion in Persia!
Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he
to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by
My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the
face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved. We have decreed, O people,
that the highest and last end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is
the Object of all knowledge; and yet behold how ye have allowed your learning to
shut you out, as by a veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through
Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed. Say: This, verily, is the heaven in
which the Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend it. He it is Who
hath caused the Rock to shout, and the Burning Bush to lift up its voice upon
the Mount rising above the Holy Land, and proclaim: ‘The Kingdom is God’s, the
sovereign Lord of all, the All-Powerful, the Loving!’ We have not entered any
school, nor read any of your dissertations. Incline your ears to the words of
this unlettered One, wherewith He summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding.
Better is this for you than all the treasures of the earth, could ye but
comprehend it. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of
Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have
perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book."

Thereupon We heard the groaning of the true Faith, and said unto it:
"Wherefore, O true Faith, do I hear Thee cry out in the night season, and groan
in the daytime, and utter Thy lamentations at daybreak?" She made reply: "O
Prince of the world that standest revealed in the Most Great Name! The heedless
ones have hamstrung Thy white She-Camel, and caused Thy Crimson Ark to founder,
and wished to put out Thy Light, and to veil the face of Thy Cause. Wherefore
hath the voice of My lamentation been lifted up, as well as the voice of the
lamentation of all created things, and yet the people are for the most part
unaware." The true Faith hath laid fast hold, in this day, on the hem of Our
bounty, and circleth about Our Person.

O Shaykh! Enter thou My presence, that thou mayest behold what the eye of the
universe hath never beheld, and hear that which the ear of the whole creation
hath never heard, that haply thou mayest free thyself from the mire of vague
fancies, and set thy face towards the Most Sublime Station, wherein this Wronged
One calleth aloud: "The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Praised!" We
fain would hope that through thine exertions the wings of men may be sanctified
from the mire of self and desire, and be made worthy to soar in the atmosphere
of God’s love. Wings that are besmirched with mire can never soar. Unto this
testify they who are the exponents of justice and equity, and yet the people are
in evident doubt.

O Shaykh! Protests have been voiced against Us from every side-protests such
as Our pen craveth pardon for setting down. Nevertheless, by reason of Our great
mercy, We have replied unto them, in accordance with the understanding of men,
that haply they may be delivered from the fire of negation and denial, and
become illumined with the light of affirmation and acceptance. Equity is rarely
to be found, and justice hath ceased to exist.

Among others, these perspicuous verses have, in answer to certain
individuals, been sent down from the Kingdom of Divine knowledge: "O thou who
hast set thy face towards the splendors of My Countenance! Vague fancies have
encompassed the dwellers of the earth and debarred them from turning towards the
Horizon of Certitude, and its brightness, and its manifestations and its lights.
Vain imaginings have withheld them from Him Who is the Self-Subsisting. They
speak as prompted by their own caprices, and understand not. Among them are
those who have said: ‘Have the verses been sent down?’ Say: ‘Yea, by Him Who is
the Lord of the heavens!’

‘Hath the Hour come?’ ‘Nay, more; it hath passed, by Him Who is the Revealer
of clear tokens! Verily, the Inevitable is come, and He, the True One, hath
appeared with proof and testimony. The Plain is disclosed, and mankind is sore
vexed and fearful. Earthquakes have broken loose, and the tribes have lamented,
for fear of God, the Lord of Strength, the All-Compelling.’ Say: ‘The stunning
trumpet blast hath been loudly raised, and the Day is God’s, the One, the
Unconstrained.’ ‘Hath the Catastrophe come to pass?’ Say: ‘Yea, by the Lord of
Lords!’ ‘Is the Resurrection come?’ ‘Nay, more; He Who is the Self-Subsisting
hath appeared with the Kingdom of His signs.’ ‘Seest thou men laid low?’ ‘Yea,
by my Lord, the Exalted, the Most High!’ ‘Have the tree-stumps been uprooted?’
‘Yea, more; the mountains have been scattered in dust; by Him the Lord of
attributes!’ They say: ‘Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?’ Say: ‘The one is
reunion with Me; the other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a partner
with God and doubtest.’ They say: ‘We see not the Balance.’ Say: ‘Surely, by my
Lord, the God of Mercy! None can see it except such as are endued with insight.’
‘Have the stars fallen?’ Say: ‘Yea, when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in
the Land of Mystery (Adrianople). Take heed, ye who are endued with
discernment!’ All the signs appeared when We drew forth the Hand of Power from
the bosom of majesty and might. Verily, the Crier hath cried out, when the
promised time came, and they that have recognized the splendors of Sinai have
swooned away in the wilderness of hesitation, before the awful majesty of thy
Lord, the Lord of creation. The trumpet asketh: ‘Hath the Bugle been sounded?’
Say: ‘Yea, by the King of Revelation!, when He mounted the throne of His Name,
the All-Merciful.’ Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning-light of the
mercy of thy Lord, the Source of all light. The breeze of the All-Merciful hath
wafted, and the souls have been quickened in the tombs of their bodies. Thus
hath the decree been fulfilled by God, the Mighty, the Beneficent. They that
have gone astray have said: ‘When were the heavens cleft asunder?’ Say: ‘While
ye lay in the graves of waywardness and error.’ Among the heedless is he who
rubbeth his eyes, and looketh to the right and to the left. Say: ‘Blinded art
thou. No refuge hast thou to flee to.’ And among them is he who saith: ‘Have men
been gathered together?’ Say: ‘Yea, by my Lord!, whilst thou didst lie in the
cradle of idle fancies.’

And among them is he who saith: ‘Hath the Book been sent down through the
power of the true Faith?’ Say: ‘The true Faith itself is astounded. Fear ye, O
ye men of understanding heart!’ And among them is he who saith: ‘Have I been
assembled with others, blind?’ Say: ‘Yea, by Him that rideth upon the clouds!’
Paradise is decked with mystic roses, and hell hath been made to blaze with the
fire of the impious. Say: ‘The light hath shone forth from the horizon of
Revelation, and the whole earth hath been illumined at the coming of Him Who is
the Lord of the Day of the Covenant!’ The doubters have perished, whilst he that
turned, guided by the light of assurance, unto the Dayspring of Certitude hath
prospered. Blessed art thou, who hast fixed thy gaze upon Me, for this Tablet
which hath been sent down for thee-a Tablet which causeth the souls of men to
soar. Commit it to memory, and recite it. By My life! It is a door to the mercy
of thy Lord. Well is it with him that reciteth it at eventide and at dawn. We,
verily, hear thy praise of this Cause, through which the mountain of knowledge
was crushed, and men’s feet have slipped. My glory be upon thee and upon
whomsoever hath turned unto the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. The Tablet is
ended, but the theme is unexhausted. Be patient, for thy Lord is patient."

These are verses We sent down previously, soon after Our arrival in the
prison-city of Akka, and We have sent them unto thee, that thou mayest be
acquainted with what their lying tongues have spoken, when Our Cause came unto
them with might and sovereignty. The foundations of idle fancies have trembled,
and the heaven of vain imaginings hath been cleft asunder, and yet the people
are in doubt and in contention with Him. They have denied the testimony of God
and His proof, after He came from the heaven of power with the kingdom of His
signs. They have cast away what had been prescribed, and perpetrated what had
been forbidden them in the Book. They have abandoned their God, and clung unto
their desires. They truly have strayed and are in error. They read the verses
and deny them. They behold the clear tokens and turn aside. They truly are lost
in strange doubt.

We have admonished Our loved ones to fear God, a fear which is the
fountain-head of all goodly deeds and virtues. It is the commander of the hosts
of justice in the city of Baha. Happy the man that hath entered the shadow of
its luminous standard, and laid fast hold thereon. He, verily, is of the
Companions of the Crimson Ark, which hath been mentioned in the Qayyum-i-Asma.

Say: O people of God! Adorn your temples with the adornment of
trustworthiness and piety. Help, then, your Lord with the hosts of goodly deeds
and a praiseworthy character. We have forbidden you dissension and conflict in
My Books, and My Scriptures, and My Scrolls, and My Tablets, and have wished
thereby naught else save your exaltation and advancement. Unto this testify the
heavens and the stars thereof, and the sun and the radiance thereof, and the
trees and the leaves thereof, and the seas and the waves thereof, and the earth
and the treasures thereof. We pray God to assist His loved ones, and aid them in
that which beseemeth them in this blest, this mighty, and wondrous station.

Further, in another Tablet, We have said: "O thou who hast fixed thy gaze
upon My countenance! Admonish men to fear God. By God! This fear is the chief
commander of the army of thy Lord. Its hosts are a praiseworthy character and
goodly deeds. Through it have the cities of men’s hearts been opened throughout
the ages and centuries, and the standards of ascendancy and triumph raised above
all other standards."

"We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof in the
estimation of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of days We
repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We beheld its streams flowing,
and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst. Turning Our
face to the right, We beheld what the pen is powerless to describe; nor can it
set forth that which the eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in that most
sanctified, that most sublime, that blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then,
to the left We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise,
standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: ‘O inmates of earth and
heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My
effulgence. By God, the True One!

I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I
will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and
station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people
of Baha, and the vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I
am the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of
assurance unto all beings.’ Thus have We sent down for thee that which will draw
men nigh unto the Lord of creation."

This Wronged One hath, at all times, summoned the peoples of the world unto
that which will exalt them, and draw them nigh unto God. From the Most Sublime
Horizon there hath shone forth that which leaveth no room unto any one for
vacillation, repudiation or denial. The wayward, however, have failed to profit
therefrom; nay, it shall only increase their loss.

O Shaykh! It is incumbent upon the divines to unite with His Majesty, the
Shah-may God assist him-and to cleave day and night unto that which will exalt
the station of both the government and the nation. This people are assiduously
occupied in enlightening the souls of men and in rehabilitating their condition.
Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen in
this lucid Tablet. How often have things been simple and easy of accomplishment,
and yet most men have been heedless, and busied themselves with that which
wasteth their time!

One day, while in Constantinople, Kamal Pasha visited this Wronged One. Our
conversation turned upon topics profitable unto man. He said that he had learned
several languages. In reply We observed: "You have wasted your life. It
beseemeth you and the other officials of the Government to convene a gathering
and choose one of the divers languages, and likewise one of the existing
scripts, or else to create a new language and a new script to be taught children
in schools throughout the world. They would, in this way, be acquiring only two
languages, one their own native tongue, the other the language in which all the
peoples of the world would converse. Were men to take fast hold on that which
hath been mentioned, the whole earth would come to be regarded as one country,
and the people would be relieved and freed from the necessity of acquiring and
teaching different languages." When in Our presence, he acquiesced, and even
evinced great joy and complete satisfaction. We then told him to lay this matter
before the officials and ministers of the Government, in order that it might be
put into effect throughout the different countries. However, although he often
returned to see Us after this, he never again referred to this subject, although
that which had been suggested is conducive to the concord and the unity of the
peoples of the world.

We fain would hope that the Persian Government will adopt it and carry it
out. At present, a new language and a new script have been devised. If thou
desirest, We will communicate them to thee. Our purpose is that all men may
cleave unto that which will reduce unnecessary labor and exertion, so that their
days may be befittingly spent and ended. God, verily, is the Helper, the Knower,
the Ordainer, the Omniscient.

God willing, Persia may be adorned with, and attain unto, that whereof she
hath thus far been deprived. Say: "O Shah! Exert thyself so that all the peoples
of the world may be illumined with the effulgent splendors of the sun of thy
justice. The eyes of this Wronged One are turned towards naught save
trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity, and all that profiteth men." Regard Him
not as a traitor. Glorified art Thou, O my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay!
Aid Thou His Majesty the Shah to execute Thy laws and Thy commandments, and show
forth Thy justice among Thy servants. Thou art, verily, the All-Bounteous, the
Lord of grace abounding, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The Cause of God hath
come as a token of His grace. Happy are they who act; happy are they who
understand; happy the man that hath clung unto the truth, detached from all that
is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

O Shaykh! Seek thou the shore of the Most Great Ocean, and enter, then, the
Crimson Ark which God hath ordained in the Qayyum-i-Asma for the people of Baha.
Verily, it passeth over land and sea. He that entereth therein is saved, and he
that turneth aside perisheth. Shouldst thou enter therein and attain unto it,
set thy face towards the Kaaba of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,
and say: "O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy most glorious light, and all Thy
lights are verily glorious." Thereupon, will the doors of the Kingdom be flung
wide before thy face, and thou wilt behold what eyes have never beheld, and hear
what ears have never heard. This Wronged One exhorteth thee as He hath exhorted
thee before, and hath never had any wish for thee save that thou shouldst enter
the ocean of the unity of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the day whereon
all created things cry out, and announce unto men this Revelation, through which
hath appeared what was concealed and preserved in the knowledge of God, the
Mighty, the All-Praised.

O Shaykh! Thou hast heard the sweet melodies of the Doves of Utterance cooing
on the boughs of the Lote-Tree of knowledge. Hearken, now, unto the notes of the
Birds of Wisdom upraised in the Most Sublime Paradise. They verily will acquaint
thee with things of which thou wert wholly unaware.

Give ear unto that which the Tongue of Might and Power hath spoken in the
Books of God, the Desire of every understanding heart. At this moment a Voice
was raised from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, in the heart of
the Most Sublime Paradise, bidding Me relate unto thee that which hath been sent
down in the Books and Tablets, and the things spoken by My Forerunner, Who laid
down His life for this Great Announcement, this Straight Path. He hath said-and
He, verily, speaketh the truth: "I have written down in My mention of Him these
gem-like words: ‘No allusion of Mine can allude unto Him, neither anything
mentioned in the Bayan.’" And further, He-exalted and glorified be He-saith,
concerning this most mighty Revelation, this Great Announcement: "Exalted and
glorified is He above the power of any one to reveal Him except Himself, or the
description of any of His creatures. I Myself am but the first servant to
believe in Him and in His signs, and to partake of the sweet savors of His words
from the first-fruits of the Paradise of His knowledge. Yea, by His glory! He is
the Truth. There is none other God but Him. All have arisen at His bidding."
Such are the words sung by the Dove of Truth on the boughs of the Divine
Lote-Tree. Well is it with him that hath given ear unto its Voice, and quaffed
from the oceans of Divine utterance that lie concealed in each of these words.
In another connection hath the Voice of the Bayan called aloud from the loftiest
branches. He saith-blessed and glorified be He: "In the year nine ye will attain
unto all good." On another occasion He saith:

"In the year nine ye will attain unto the Presence of God." These melodies,
uttered by the Birds of the cities of Knowledge, conform with that which hath
been sent down by the All-Merciful in the Qur’an. Blessed are the men of
insight; blessed they that attain thereunto.

O Shaykh! I swear by God! The River of Mercy floweth, and the Ocean of
Utterance surgeth, and the Sun of Revelation shineth forth resplendent. With a
detached heart, and a dilated breast, and an utterly truthful tongue, recite
thou these sublime words that have been revealed by My Forerunner-the Primal
Point. He saith-glorified be His utterance-addressing his honor, Azim: "This,
verily, is the thing We promised thee, ere the moment We answered thy call. Wait
thou until nine will have elapsed from the time of the Bayan. Then exclaim:

‘Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers!’ Say: This,
verily, is an Announcement which none except God hath comprehended. Ye, however,
will be unaware on that day." In the year nine this Most Great Revelation arose
and shone forth brightly above the horizon of the Will of God. None can deny it
save he who is heedless and doubteth.

We pray God to aid His servants to return unto Him, and beg forgiveness for
the things they committed in this vain life. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the
Pardoner, the All-Merciful. In another connection He saith: "I am the first
servant to believe in Him, and in His signs." In like manner, in the Persian
Bayan, He saith: "He, verily, is the One Who, under all conditions, proclaimeth:
‘I, in very truth, am God!’" and so on-blessed and glorified be He. That which
is meant by Divinity and Godhead hath previously been stated. We have in truth
rent the veils asunder and disclosed that which will draw men nigh unto God, Who
layeth low the necks of men. Happy the man that hath attained unto justice and
equity in this Grace that hath encompassed all that is in the heavens and all
that is on earth, as bidden by God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Shaykh! Hearken unto the melodies of the Gospel with the ear of fairness.
He saith-glorified be His utterance-prophesying the things that are to come:
"But of that Day and Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the
Son, but the Father." By Father in this connection is meant God-exalted be His
glory. He, verily, is the True Educator, and the Spiritual Teacher.

Joel saith: "For the Day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can
abide it?" Firstly, in the sublime utterance set forth in the Gospel He saith
that none is aware of the time of the Revelation, that none knoweth it except
God, the All-Knowing, Who is cognizant of all. Secondly, He setteth forth the
greatness of the Revelation. Likewise, in the Qur’an He saith: "Of what ask they
of one another? Of the Great Announcement." This is the Announcement, the
greatness of which hath been mentioned in most of the Books of old and of more
recent times.

This is the Announcement that hath caused the limbs of mankind to quake,
except such as God, the Protector, the Helper, the Succorer, hath willed to
exempt. Men have indeed with their own eyes witnessed how all men and all things
have been thrown into confusion and been sore perplexed, save those whom God
hath chosen to exempt.

O Shaykh! Great is the Cause, and great the Announcement! Patiently and
calmly ponder thou upon the resplendent signs and the sublime words, and all
that hath been revealed in these days, that haply thou mayest fathom the
mysteries that are hid in the Books, and mayest strive to guide His servants.
Hearken with thine inner ear unto the Voice of Jeremiah, Who saith: "Oh, for
great is that Day, and it hath no equal." Wert thou to observe with the eye of
fairness, thou wouldst perceive the greatness of the Day. Incline thine ear unto
the Voice of this All-Knowing Counsellor, and suffer not thyself to be deprived
of the mercy that hath surpassed all created things, visible and invisible. Lend
an ear unto the song of David. He saith: "Who will bring me into the Strong
City?" The Strong City is Akka, which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and
which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts.

O Shaykh! Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken in His Book. He saith: "Get
thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up Thy
Voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings. Lift it up, be not
afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: ‘Behold your God! Behold the Lord God will
come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him.’" This Day all the signs
have appeared. A Great City hath descended from heaven, and Zion trembleth and
exulteth with joy at the Revelation of God, for it hath heard the Voice of God
on every side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained unto a new Evangel, for in the
stead of the sycamore standeth the cedar. Jerusalem is the place of pilgrimage
for all the peoples of the world, and hath been named the Holy City. Together
with Zion and Palestine, they are all included within these regions. Wherefore,
hath it been said: "Blessed is the man that hath migrated to Akka."

Amos saith: "The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter His Voice from
Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of
Carmel shall wither." Carmel, in the Book of God, hath been designated as the
Hill of God, and His Vineyard. It is here that, by the grace of the Lord of
Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy are they that attain
thereunto; happy they that set their faces towards it. And likewise He saith:
"Our God will come, and He will not be silent."

O Shaykh! Reflect upon these words addressed by Him Who is the Desire of the
world to Amos. He saith: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, for, lo, He that
formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his
thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of
the earth, the Lord, the God of Hosts, is His name." He saith that He maketh the
morning darkness. By this is meant that if, at the time of the Manifestation of
Him Who conversed on Sinai anyone were to regard himself as the true morn, he
will, through the might and power of God, be turned into darkness. He truly is
the false dawn, though believing himself to be the true one. Woe unto him, and
woe unto such as follow him without a clear token from God, the Lord of the
worlds.

Isaiah saith: "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day." Concerning the
greatness of the Revelation He saith: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the
dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty." And in another
connection He saith: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for
them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom
abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be
given unto it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of
the Lord, and the splendor of our God."

These passages stand in need of no commentary. They are shining and manifest
as the sun, and glowing and luminous as light itself. Every fair-minded person
is led, by the fragrance of these words, unto the garden of understanding, and
attaineth unto that from which most men are veiled and debarred. Say: Fear God,
O people, and follow not the doubts of such as shout aloud, who have broken the
Covenant of God and His Testament, and denied His mercy that hath preceded all
that are in the heavens and all that are on earth.

And likewise, He saith: "Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong,
fear not, behold your God." This blessed verse is a proof of the greatness of
the Revelation, and of the greatness of the Cause, inasmuch as the blast of the
trumpet must needs spread confusion throughout the world, and fear and trembling
amongst all men. Well is it with him who hath been illumined with the light of
trust and detachment. The tribulations of that Day will not hinder or alarm him.
Thus hath the Tongue of Utterance spoken, as bidden by Him Who is the
All-Merciful. He, verily, is the Strong, the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing, the
Almighty. It is now incumbent upon them who are endowed with a hearing ear and a
seeing eye to ponder these sublime words, in each of which the oceans of inner
meaning and explanation are hidden, that haply the words uttered by Him Who is
the Lord of Revelation may enable His servants to attain, with the utmost joy
and radiance, unto the Supreme Goal and Most Sublime Summit-the dawning-place of
this Voice.

O Shaykh! Wert thou to perceive, be it less than a needle’s eye, the breaths
of Mine utterance, thou wouldst abandon the world and all that is therein, and
wouldst set thy face towards the lights of the countenance of the Desired One.
Briefly, in the sayings of Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus) unnumbered
significances lie concealed. Unto many things did He refer, but as He found none
possessed of a hearing ear or a seeing eye He chose to conceal most of these
things. Even as He saith: "But ye cannot bear them now." That Dawning-Place of
Revelation saith that on that Day He Who is the Promised One will reveal the
things which are to come. Accordingly in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and in the Tablets
to the Kings, and in the Lawh-i-Ra’is, and in the Lawh-i-Fu’ad, most of the
things which have come to pass on this earth have been announced and prophesied
by the Most Sublime Pen.